Walks Plus Another 6-Run 8th Inning Doom Cubs

September 8, 2022 – Midwest League (MWL) – South Bend Cubs News Release

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Cedar Rapids Kernels went off for six runs in the eighth for the second night in a row to begin this series and took down the South Bend Cubs 8-4.

Entering the night this felt like the huge playoff preview with Luis Devers facing David Festa in a matchup of top prospects on the mound who appear to be scheduled to face each other in game one of the playoffs come next Tuesday.

Devers allowed just one run for the fifth straight start and managed to go 4.2 innings after barely escaping the first inning. The 22-year-old tossed 34 pitches in the first and maneuvered out of a bases loaded jam without allowing a run. On the other side Festa went out for his final time this regular season, a guy who has shot up prospect rankings, and went a season high 6.2 innings allowing four runs (three earned).

Jordan Nwogu homered two batters into the game for his team-leading 14th of the season. After the Kernels tied the game at one a double from Pat Winkel, the Cubs clapped back with a two-run fifth inning. With one out BJ Murray smacked a double to the opposite field in left and then scored on a Fabian Pertuz triple the other way to right-center field. Casey Opitz smoked one into center that was tracked down by the speedster Willie Joe Garry Jr., but it was deep enough to plate another run.

In a see-saw affair the home team came back with a run in the sixth inning. Mikey Perez doubled with one out and then stole his third base of the series. A day after the Kernels stole five bases successfully, they stole just one Wednesday night but made it count. The extra 90 feet allowed Perez to score on an ensuing ground out to short off the bat of Alerick Soularie.

After the Cubs got an unearned run scored in the seventh, they took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth on another night where runs were hard to come by… until the eighth.

Tuesday night the first half West Division champs busted open a 2-1 game with a six-run eighth inning and the following night they came back from a two-run hole and took a commanding lead with another six-spot. Charles Mack, who had pinch-hit for Winkel earlier homered off Michael McAvene to begin the inning the make it 4-3. On a night defined by free passes issued by Cubs pitching, the Kernels offense finally made them pay for a lack of strikes being thrown. Two walks an a hit batsman loaded the bases. All six of the Kernels eight innings runs came with two outs Tuesday and five of them came home the following night. Jake Reindl walked in the game-tying run and then back-to-back two run hits from Kyler Fedko and Brooks Lee buried the Cubs.

Nothing on paper is on the line this week. Both these teams are into the playoffs and will face each other next week. But Cedar Rapids improved to 6-and-2 on the year now versus South Bend.

Thursday night’s game at 7:35 ET can be heard on the radio on 96.1 The Ton.

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